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Differences in GCSE scores owe more to pupils’ genetic make-up than to their teacher, school or family environment, scientists have found.

The largest British study of its kind reveals that genes explain more than 50 per cent of variation in exam results, but the authors argue that this does not justify spending less on teaching the weakest pupils.

The findings add fuel to an ongoing debate about IQ and social mobility, sparked by Boris Johnson’s comment that “it is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16 per cent of our species have an IQ below